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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23468788">Next Time</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/durinsreign/pseuds/durinsreign'>durinsreign</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Blue Mountains | Ered Luin, Dwalin's good at dodging, Guardsman Dwalin, M/M, Nori's got feelings, Pining, Pre-Quest of Erebor, Thief Nori, nwalin - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 05:43:31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>880</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23468788</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/durinsreign/pseuds/durinsreign</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Those always made him curl into himself with a fluttery chest.</p>
<p>No— no. Not fluttery chest. Sharp-... knives?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dwalin/Nori (Tolkien)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>33</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Next Time</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Just a little drabble to get it out of my head and somewhere...</p>
<p>They're my favorite, perhaps &lt;3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>———————</p>
<p>Every time Nori made an appearance in Ered Luin, there was always a little bounty on his head. Every time he came home, Ori would help sneak him in through an unlocked window, and Dori would hold his temper behind scalding tea. Every time he went out into the markets, the posted guards would keep a sharper eye on him, and every time he got caught, he made sure it was by the same guardsman he'd kept his own eyes on for years. </p>
<p>To be clear, he wasn't just <em>any</em> guardsman, he was <em>the</em> guardsman. Dwalin, son of Fundin, captain of Ered Luin's city guard, a noble, descendant of Durin, cousin to 'King' Thorin Oakenshield, and probably the most honest dwarf Nori had ever met. </p>
<p>Not that they had really ever met.</p>
<p>Unless you count the many times Dwalin had Nori pressed against the dirt or a wall to cuff him. Or the wolfish grins Nori sent to Dwalin, only to get an amused snort as the dwarf left him in return. Those always made him curl into himself with a fluttery chest.</p>
<p>No— no. Not fluttery chest. Sharp-... knives?</p>
<p>Sharp knives cutting into his heart ripping away at anything that would resemble a feeling of contentment or <em>affection</em>. </p>
<p>Nori always got out of the cell. No matter how many shackles they put on him, no matter how many locks they chain onto the door, Nori always found a way to get free before they knew what to do with him. </p>
<p>And that made Dwalin's blood boil. </p>
<p>The only thing that made Dwalin more frustrated was the fact that the big haired thief would virtually disappear for months at a time after he escaped. He could have all the guards in the region search for the red headed, slippery dwarf, and all of them would turn up empty handed or with someone different entirely. </p>
<p>It was a game of Cat and Mouse, and Nori <em>loved</em> the chase.</p>
<p>—</p>
<p>The next time Dwalin had confronted the thief, he cuffed him well enough to make sure a good writhing wouldn't be enough to slip free, but didn't immediately start walking toward the jail.</p>
<p>"Where do you go?" The guard asked, turning Nori to face him. Never has he been so close, face to face, near nose to nose… Nori could smell the scent of him; he smelled of the forges, warm, metallic — or maybe that was just the blood from a not so bad scrape he got from the chase—.</p>
<p>"Why? Miss me when I'm gone, do you?" Nori's lips slanted into an all too smug grin, and Dwalin rolled his eyes. </p>
<p>"Forget it." He said under his breath. Dwalin pushed Nori on forward, this was not their longest conversation (if you could even call it that), and it wouldn't be their last; he could always ask again later.</p>
<p>"A little raven told me you <em>do</em> look for me." As one should when a thief goes missing before official release. </p>
<p>If he allowed himself to be honest, Nori's heart raced faster when he was being held and taken away by Dwalin than it did when he ran for his crimes. It must be something to do with the fact that Dwalin was the <em>perfect</em> image of a Dwarf. In his opinion, of course.</p>
<p>He had to give it to him, Dwalin was tall, strong, and proud. Biggest dwarf Nori had ever seen, and his shoulders were so <em>wide</em>. </p>
<p>"You talk to birds?" Dwalin tended to dodge any and every advance Nori could ever make. Did he just have a lot of practice? He bets he did. Is he only interested in dwarrow dams?</p>
<p><em>Oh, please, Mahal, don't let him be only into dwarrow dams</em>.</p>
<p>"Wasn't a no." A shark-like smile pulled the corners of his mouth once again, and he pressed against the hand grasping his arm. "You're wasting everyone's time, looking for me." But it was nice to know Dwalin thought of him that often.</p>
<p>Even if the image was a bad one. </p>
<p>"Not a yes." Dwalin retorted.</p>
<p>It was embarrassing to think it could ever happen. Nori didn't even really know <em>when</em> Dwalin had begun to plague his every thought. He tried to backtrack it once, because he remembered every little encounter, every little brush of big hands on him. </p>
<p>Maybe it was the first time Dwalin full force tackled him to the ground. Both of them were breathing hard, but barely broke a sweat. Nori still had energy in himself to struggle, kicking and jerking his body every which way to get away, but Dwalin was strong and big, and didn't have much trouble caging him between the alley wall and his chest. Healed wounds littered his forearms, the skin a bit thicker; scars like train tracks. Not that Nori payed <em>that</em> much attention.</p>
<p>There was something comical in the way they stayed in place for longer than necessary. Nori's eyes were wide and his chest heaved to catch as much air in his lungs as possible, and Dwalin looked frustrated, if not angry; a fist beside the thief's arm, and another holding an axe beside his throat. Nori <em>liked</em> the angle. Minus the axe. Wanted to try it laying down, maybe. </p>
<p>Not this time, of course. Next time. <em>Maybe</em>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>———————</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Comments appreciated!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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